The Week in Review (18-24 February)

A roundup of the main stories in Romania this week

Corina Cristea, 24.02.2018, 14:09

Justice Minister formally asks for the dismissal of the anti-corruption directorates chief prosecutor

The decision of Romanias Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to formally ask for the dismissal of the National Anti-Corruption Directorates chief prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has sparked fresh protests throughout the country, with thousands of Romanians taking to the streets shortly after Minister Toaders announcement. In a news conference on Thursday evening, the Justice Minister presented the findings of a report on the activity of the DNAs leadership, in which chief prosecutor Kovesi is being criticised.

Tudorel Toader accuses Laura Codruta Kovesi of “acts and deeds that are intolerable in a rule of law, such as serious violation of duty, putting pressure on the government and other institutions, postponing sentences in a number of cases, not checking the professional activity and behaviour of certain prosecutors, as well as certain public statements, to name but a few. At the same time, Minister Toader accuses the chief-prosecutor of having breached the constitution and the separation of powers principle.

Tudorel Toader: “The National Anti-Corruption Directorate does not identify itself with its chief-prosecutor, whose actions in the past year have proven likely to endanger the very institution that she leads, by having an excessively authoritarian and discretionary behaviour, defying Parliaments authority and the Governments role and attributions and contesting the Constitutional Courts decisions and authority.

Once the procedure is initiated, the chief prosecutors dismissal cannot be done without the head of states approval, after the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) gives advice on the request submitted by the Minister of Justice.

President Klaus Iohannis however, maintains his support for the DNAs activity and its leadership, according to a release by the presidency soon after the proposal for dismissal was made public. President Iohannis believes that the Justice Ministers presentation of the report is lacking in clarity, for which reason the report will be thoroughly analysed by the Presidential Administrations departments. The presidential release also says that the head of state will make use of all his constitutional prerogatives to ensure the functioning of an independent justice system and the consolidation of the rule of law.

Romanias Prosecutor-General Augustin Lazar has said that there is no legal reason for the dismissal of the DNAs chief prosecutor. On the political stage, the reactions to Minister Toaders announcement were very prompt. The ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) sees the Justice Ministers request as grounded and well documented. On the other hand, the National Liberal Party, the main opposition party, sees the request as ungrounded, made under the pressure of influential people who have problems with the law.

The Romanian PM travels to Brussels

Having paid this week her first official visit to Brussels since being appointed prime minister, the former MEP Viorica Dancila discussed with the European officials about Romanias holding the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019, financial aspects and the countrys joining the Schengen area. The European Commission President, Jean Claude Junker has said, on this occasion, that there is no reason for Romania not to join the Schengen area. Junker has also voiced hope that the Bucharest Government will make efforts for the countrys judicial system to work. In his opinion, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in place for Bulgaria and Romania should be lifted before the mandate of the current Commission ends.

The Romanian PM also held talks in Brussels with the European Council President Donald Tusk and the head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The latter urged the Romanian Government to continue the battle against corruption and for the consolidation of the rule of law.

Viorica Dancila: “I believe that good cooperation is beneficial for Europe and for Romania. I will go before the European Parliament to talk about the future of Europe, which Romania must be an active part of, given the countrys taking over the EU Council presidency and the challenges lying ahead.

The slow absorption of European funds is another topic tackled by PM Dancila at a meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu. Commissioner Cretu has again warned the Bucharest authorities over the fact that procedures for using European money must be sped up and simplified.

The opposition files no-confidence motion against the Labour Minister

The simple motion filed against the Social Democrat Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu was rejected on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies. Its signatories, 60 Liberal MPs, accuse the ruling coalition of disrupting the fiscal and social systems and creating serious imbalances between the public and private systems, following the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees starting January 1st, 2018. Following the implementation of this measure, the incomes of around 2 million Romanians have gone down. At the debates in the Chamber of Deputies, Minister Olguta Vasilescu has said that salaries cannot decrease if employers act in good faith.

(translated by: Elena Enache)